Dielectric heating apparatus

Claim 1

DIELECTRIC HEATING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN OSCILLATOR FOR SUPPLYING MICROWAVE ENERGY, AN OVEN HAVING WALLS PROVIDING A CAVITY, A CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID OSCILLATOR AND SAID CAVITY, SAID WALLS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND APERTURED ZONES AND OTHERWISE BEING IMPERFORATE, THE FIRST APERTURED ZONE DEFINING AN ACCESS OPENING AND A CLOSURE MEMBER THEREFOR MOVABLE BETWEEN CLOSED AND OPEN POSITIONS, SAID CONNECTION BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CAVITY AT THE SECOND APERTURED ZONE FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID CAVITY MICROWAVE ENERGY SUPPLIED BY SAID OSCILLATOR, SAID CAVITY WHEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IS MOVED TO ITS CLOSED POSITION DEFINING A PLACE OF HEATING CLOSED FROM THE SURROUNDINGS TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF MICROWAVE ENERGY THEREFROM, SAID CAVITY UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A NORMAL USEFUL LOAD TO BE HEATED, MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE WALLS OF SAID CAVITY TO PROVIDE AN ARTIFICIAL LOAD FOR MATCHING SAID CAVITY TO SAID OSCILLATOR IN THE ABSENCE OF A USEFUL LOAD IN SAID CAVITY, SAID ARTIFICIAL LOAD MEANS COMPRISING DAMPING BODY STRUCTURE DISPOSED WITHIN THAT PART OF SAID CAVITY IN WHICH THE DAMPING EFFECT WILL BE EFFECTIVE TO PROTECT SAID OSCILLATOR, AND SAID DAMPING BODY STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DAMPING BODIES, THE LENGTH OF SAID DAMPING BODIES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ONE-HALF THE LENGTH OF THE MICROWAVES SUPPLIED BY SAID OSCILLATOR.